Instant Pot French Lentil Soup

The dictionary definition of “Cozy” might as well include French Lentil Soup. It fits right in there between "giving a feeling a comfort” and “keeping warm.”

In addition to French lentils, bay leaves, white wine, and fresh thyme go into the pot. What comes out is this steaming hot, broth-y stew that boasts every flavor a “French” soup should. It’s amazing what a splash of wine can do! Lentils are not the first thing I think of when I imagine French food (maybe brie, or baguettes, or wine) but lentils are a huge part of French culture. Even though lentils originated in the Middle East, Le Puy Lentils (French Lentils) are specific to France and have the same Protected Designation of Origin as Champagne — to be called lentilles du Puy, they must be grown in Puy.

Instant Pot French Lentil Soup

Published December 6, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 8   |    Active Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

2 cups french lentils, rinsed (also called Le Puy or French Green Lentils)

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 large onion, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

Splash white wine (about 1/4 cup)

2 large carrots, diced

1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes

2 bay leaves

6-1/2 cups vegetable broth

1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper 

Leaves from 3 sprigs of thyme

1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt (more if using homemade broth, less if using store-bought broth with sodium), plus more to taste

Garnish: minced parsley

Directions:

1. Heat coconut oil in the bottom of an Instant Pot on the sauté setting. Add onion, garlic, and celery, and sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until onions are translucent and starting to brown. Add the splash of wine and stir. Continue to cook on sauté setting until wine has cooked off.
2. Add carrots, canned tomatoes, lentils, bay leaves, vegetable broth, black pepper, salt and thyme, and stir.
3. Place lid on Instant Pot and turn to “Bean/Chili” setting with timer set to 14 minutes and vent in the sealed position.
4. When timer goes off, release the pressure. Stir soup and season with salt additional to taste. Serve topped with minced parsley.
5. Tip: For extra veggies in your meal, place a handful of baby kale or spinach in the bottom of your bowl when serving, and spoon the hot lentils over top.

Instant Pot Coconut Rice

Soggy, strangely sweet, and topped with bland tofu, my first experience with coconut rice was terrible. It was also my first experience with tofu, and that probably didn’t help. Being seven years old didn’t really lean in my favor, either. I remember picking at my bowl and barely eating, even though the rule in our family was “you eat this now or you go hungry.” 

I eventually learned to like tofu, but managed to steered clear of coconut rice for twenty years, traumatized by that experience. So, I’m not really sure what possessed me one day in February when I decided to make my own coconut rice. I shocked myself further when, halfway through the first bowl I thought, needs more coconut, and served myself seconds. 

It turns out, I love coconut rice. That first sample was far too long ago for me to remember what was wrong with it. But, now I find myself on quite the coconut rice kick — it’s the perfect side for Thai dishes. 

All you need is rice, water, coconut milk and a sprinkle of salt. I find that the salt is necessary because it keeps it savory rather than sweet. In other applications, maybe you would want to swing more sweet and in that case you could skip the salt.

Of course, cooking it in an Instant Pot is also key, which is the only way I cook rice because it’s fool proof and SO EASY. (I’m a home cook that tends to get distracted, or maybe just tried to juggle too many things at once. Cooking rice on the stove is a gamble: Will she burn it this time? But cooking rice in the Instant Pot is right on the mark every time, no matter how many other things I’m trying to do.)

Instant Pot Coconut Rice goes wonderfully with this Thai Basil Beef, or any stir fry, really.

Instant Pot Coconut Rice

Published April 24, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

   |     Print This Recipe

Serves: 6   |    Total Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 2 cups jasmine rice 
• 1 13.5 ounce can coconut milk
• 1 cup water
• 1-2 pinches salt 
• 1/4 cup toasted coconut
• Minced cilantro or green onions for garnish

Directions:

1. Add rice, coconut milk, water, and salt to Instant Pot and set to Rice setting with the vent turned to the sealed position. Timer should be set for 12 minutes.
2. When timer goes off, open vent to release pressure. Serve hot topped with minced cilantro/green onions and/or toasted coconut.

Chipotle Bison & Sweet Potato Chili

I'm not sure which is more enjoyable: coming home to dinner cooking and the kitchen smelling like a chef has been slaving away all day, or dipping corn bread into a warm bowl of chili bite after bite, and watching the snow float to the ground through a window. (For gluten-free, this is my go-to corn bread; For grain-free corn bread, try this recipe).

This chili recipe is becoming a regular in our household. It's the kind of dish you want to serve yourself when the night is cold and a sofa with a pile of blankets awaits. It's the kind of dish you serve to guests for the first wintery game night of the season, or the first scary movie of October. 

With chipotle peppers in adobo, this chili is a "solid medium," at least that's what about four of my friends told me after they were about half way through their bowls. It's not a chili for those that can't handle the heat, but it's not going to light your mouth on fire (to me, this means I'll still be able to enjoy eating it--I can palette spicy food, but when it comes to a meal I'd really rather just sit back and taste it). 

This dish feels superbly fall-like to me: summer produce, like tomatoes and chili peppers, meet winter produce, like sweet potatoes. It's a dish to serve when the weather just starts to turn, and you pull out your first sweater, but nothing is stopping you from cooking it through out the winter, too. If we were football watchers, this would be our football dinner. (We're not.)

For a strictly Paleo version of this chili you'll have to skip the black beans. You can experiment with adding something in their place, but it's not necessary. Instead of cheese on top, serve bowls with slices of avocado. (Ok, the avocado thing sounds like a really good idea all around, so I'm going to go ahead and say everyone should do this, regardless of cheese consumption). 

Chipotle Bison & Sweet Potato Chili

Published October 24, 2017 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 6   |    Total Time: 20 active minutes

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Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground bison
• 4 ounces chipotle adobo sauce
• 1 sweet potato, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes 
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeño, deseeded and minced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon coriander
• Salt & pepper 
• 1/2 - 1  teaspoon cumin
• 2 cups bone broth
• Optional garnish: cilantro, shredded cheese, and sliced jalapeños

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to your slow cooker and stir, breaking meat into small crumbles. Set to “medium” setting, and set timer to 8 hours.
2. After 8 hours, serve in bowls. Garnish with cheese, minced cilantro, and sliced jalapeños.